Let’s Reduce Plastic Waste in Schools
Written by Kaleb H. ‘27
One of the most trending problems in the world is plastic waste. Many people choose to ignore the recycle bin whenever throwing something away, which is a big issue. In schools, students aren’t good at using the correct recycling bins for their trash.
In my school, I’ve seen numerous times, students and even myself, use the wrong bins for recycling. I’ve also noticed that some students would frequently leave water bottles in the quad, gym, and the cafeteria.
There are numerous ways we can prevent this from happening and promote better recycling. One thing I can think of is having a little competition. The competition will consist of how much plastic each grade can recycle by the end of the month and the winning class will get a little prize.
How exactly does plastic waste affect the school environment? In a 2023 article titled “Public Schools Reliance on Plastic Harms Student’s Health and the Environment,” Lia Manukyan writes, “Plastic usage at schools negatively impacts school finances and budgeting because more and more resources are needed to handle the accumulation of plastic waste.”
I think an easy fix to this problem could be using less plastic and bringing to school reusable water bottles.
